101 in 1001: 80 Day Progress Update

Recently Completed Goals and/or Recent Progress:

1// Go one month without shopping - Completed January 2016. Starting out this new year I wanted to complete at least one short-term goal in January to get myself started on the right foot. I've also been working on some small long-term goals (drink more water, drink less soda, work out more, save more money) but I wanted to do something I could essentially "check-off" at the end of the month. I decided to try and go the whole month of January without shopping. I figured it would be easy as I just got some new clothes for Christmas, it's winter so I wouldn't be walking around and browsing the shops, and I'm working out of town so I'm really busy at work and don't have too much time for extra online shopping activities. Well, it was challenging. I love getting a couple things a month to add to my wardrobe, so having to 'make it work' without running out to get a new piece for the month was new for me. I'm so glad I did it, I now have my complete quarterly clothing budget for February and March to spend on new pieces, if I choose to, so I can invest in some higher quality pieces if I find some I want to add to my wardrobe. 

2// Invest in a prime lens - Completed January 2016. My parents actually gifted me a prime lens for my birthday in January which allowed me to complete this goal earlier than expected. I love the lens, it takes such nice quality photos which are perfect for the blog and personal use. I'm enjoying experimenting with the lens and figuring out what works and what doesn't. There's definitely a learning curve with a DSLR camera and each lens you purchase for it, but it is WELL worth it for the quality photographs you receive. 

3// Go to three concerts - 1/3 completed, saw G-Eazy in January 2016 at Terminal 5. I went to the G-Eazy concert with my friends Risa and Allie recently in NYC. I saw him perform at Made in America last summer, but didn't catch his whole set. I had been listening to his new album a lot on Spotify and I love that he went to school in New Orleans at the same time as me, so it seemed like a no-brainer to see him in concert in New York when the opportunity came. Even though it was a Monday night and we all had work the next day, we really enjoyed the show and had a great night out. 

4// Try 10 New Restaurants - 7/10 Completed (Uva, The Buffalo Club, Osteria, Antica, Dos Caminos, Ayza Wine and Chocolate Bar, Giorgio on Pine). So I actually have been to more than new 10 places since starting my 101 in 1001. However, I'm only going to include restaurants I sat down at (no take-out) and really enjoyed. I've been very lucky to get to eat out a lot in both Philadelphia and NYC over the last couple of months, which allowed me to make progress on this goal. All of the places above were very good and I would highly recommend trying yourself!

5// Start a new blog series - Completed November/December 2015. I started the 'Career Wednesday' series in November 2015. I wrote a series of posts (here, here, here, and here), mostly with my friend Nidhi Desai, all about finding a job for post-grad professionals. I hope you enjoyed this series and if you'd like more career/professional posts please let me know in the comments!

6// Visit 3 new states - 1/3, California in November 2015 - In November I was lucky enough to head to Los Angeles for training for my new job. The weather was lovely and we were lucky enough to stay right on the water in San Marino. I am actually going to be heading back to LA for a week in April for Alex's cousin's wedding, so I will get to explore even more of the city and the surrounding area (including a trip to Disneyland)!

7// See 3 Broadway Show - 2/3, Chicago in January 2016 & An American in Paris in February 2016. It is currently 'Broadway Week', meaning tickets to shows are 2-for-1! Alex and I took advantage and saw Chicago this past weekend and on Tuesday night I went to An American in Paris with my friends Risa and Michelle. I love anything French, and I have always loved the music from Chicago so both shows were super fun! I'm so thankful to be in NYC and have these opportunities, I've made much more progress on this goal than I thought I would have at this point!

Upcoming Goals

1// Try 3 new fitness classes - the gym I go to in NYC has tons of fitness classes with no sign-up required, I feel this is the perfect time to try. Also, there's a Soul Cycle very close to where I'm living, so I'm thinking it'd be fun to see what all the fuss is about!

2// Watch all the 'Best Picture' nominees for the Oscars - I'm 6/8 on watching these this year, just two more to go (Bridge of Spies & Brooklyn)! 

3// Host a theme party - I'm planning on hosting an Oscars Party for my friends in Philly later this month! Stay tuned for more posts on that later!

4// Do a closet clean-out and donate clothing to charity. It is time. I want to get some new pieces I love for my wardrobe this year, but that means really cleaning out my tiny closet (and the things I have in storage) and being very picky about what gets to stay in my closet.